By now, many of us have enjoyed the company of family and friends whilst partaking in a tasty treat with all the trimmings. As I sit here with a belly full of deep-fried raccoon and collards, memories of past Thanksgivings are bouncing around in my mind, like ping pong balls in a wind tunnel. Before I share some of those memories, I would first like to remind everyone of the origination of this holiday. A few hundred years ago, the first pyramids landed on American soil after their vessel, the Titanic, crashed into Plymouth Rock. Pulled from the water by a group of Indians who were visiting from Cleveland, Ohio, the new arrivals were so thankful to be saved that they offered their rescuers a hearty meal of turkey sandwiches, corn chips and Budweiser. Following an after-meal nap, while the women-folk were busy doing dishes, sharing recipes and keeping an eye on all the little children, the men decided to go outside and play a game of tag football. The Patriots were beaten by the Redskins, after which they made a pact to make this an annual event. Eventually, the scouts and producers got wind of the tradition and bought the television rights to what was known at the time as the game of the year. As time passed, Thanksgiving evolved into the modern-time day before Christmas shopping officially begins. My own recollections of Thanksgiving are of times of happiness spent with kin and friends at places all over the U.S., and even a few times in other lands. These exposures to different traditions and tastes have led to the one day of the year when just about anything goes. And I would like to thank all those who brought so much joy to me and mine over the years. To my baby sister, Necia Coryell Dinan, and her family, thanks for introducing us to the Waterloo pop-a-bird, the turkey she stuffed with popcorn just so she could watch it get its ass blown off inside the oven. Bob Dinan Jr would baste the bird in Irish Mist (which will catch fire in the oven if too much is used), all the while hoping and praying that the Giants would be playing that day and might actually win a game. The Dinan children - Erin Dinan, Lindsay Dinan-Willson, Josh Dinan and little Kevin - would each plot their own way to get their hands on anyone elses phone or laptop so they could proclaim to the world their own greatness at the expense of whoever happened to be the favorite of the week. Cousin Carol Cataline and her clan would often join the Dinans for Thanksgiving, and despite the fact that our country hasnt belonged to England for a couple centuries, she continues to proclaim herself the Queen. My older sister, Susan Coryell Pugh, lives in Indiana, which is where the first Indians from India settled in America. Indianians celebrate Thanksgiving with tractor-pulls and turkey shoots (where a frozen turkey is shot from a canon against the barn wall. The biggest splatter wins. My brother, Jimmy, and his bride Kelly Sharkey Coryell, travel all over the eastern half of the country, and frequently to Africa. They have adopted several of the South African traditions of Thanksgiving, including barbecue wildebeest and hyena stew, and brought them back to their home in Georgia, where they combine the African entrees with Southern dishes such as fried okra, cornbread, RC cola and MoonPies. Closer to home, our son, Jason Edward Coryell, and his family like to grill ham, turkey and cheese sandwiches on the hot tailpipe of his Harley Davidson. These little nidbits of nutrition are then washed down with sweet tea from Hardees, followed by a dessert of mud-pie and nachos. In the meantime, Tricia Ethridge, and her group of concubines prefer to roast turkey hot dogs over a 7-foot tall bon fire at a temperature just slightly cooler than the surface of the Sun. These outdoor cooking excursions have been detected by spy satellites and the space lab on more than one occasion. Our dear friends, Doug and Michelle Devereaux Owensby, and their whole bunch from Illinois enjoy a variety of tempting treats, but with a preference for those that can be thrown (such as mashed potatoes, peas and cranberry sauce. Every year it seems as though my bride, Patty Coryell, has a new trick up her sleeve. This year she surprised us with Angeled Eggs (similar to deviled eggs, except theyre raw). Pattys kin folk, many of who live out in Oklahoma, Arizona and California, enjoy gathering together at the home of Wanda Ward, Brenda Williamson, Jenny Davidson, Tara Allred, Kristie Ward Nelson, Jennifer Vinson, Michelle Hoyt, or Tiffany Wood-Ward and sharing in a Southwest fare of boiled armadillo, possum belly pie, and rattlesnake tar-tar. What fun it would be if we could all gather together one year and combine these delicacies from across the land into one big to-do! Im sure that Pattys cousins - Teddy Wooten, Jerry Wooten, Randy Wooten, Cindy Wooten, and all the rest of the Wooten clan - could find a place big enough to hold us all. Happy day for giving of thanks everyone!
Posted on: Fri, 28 Nov 2014 00:18:23 +0000
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